Lewis mcnutt



L. McNUTT.A

M'ETER YoKE AND Box. PPLICATION FILED JUNE I8. 1918.

Patented July 15, 1919.

IN VENTO/ fic/Vu# WITNESSES THE COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON. D. C.

LEWIS MC'NUTT, 0F BRAZIL, IN'DIANA.

METER YoKE AND Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Apncation mea Juaeis, 191s. seijiai No. 240,657.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, LEwis MoNU'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brazil, in the county of Clay and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Meter Yoke and Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. y

My invention relates to a yoke for main-l taining a tight joint between a meter and the leads to the meter. The invention also relates to a meter box open at its lower end so that the heat of the earth prevents the freezing of the meter.

An object of the invention is to provide a yoke whereby the meter can be quickly and securely connected to the leads and which will add to the strength of the connection.

Another object of the invention is to present the meter in a box so that the same can be easily read, and its position in the box is such that the meter is not in danger of getting frozen in cold weather.

lith the above and other objects in View, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the :novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of the application, similar characters! of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a` vertical section through a box embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the meter and yoke, a portion of the yoke being broken away to show the details of construction; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary inside view of the cover.

Referring to the drawings, 5 is an earthenware. tube the larger end 6 of which is placed downwardly so that the same is substantially coaxial with the pit 7 formed in the ground and from where the leads 8 of the water pipe rise. The tube 5 carries at its upper end a cast-iron bell 9 the top of which has a lid 1.0 which is provided with prongs 10', the prongs engaging the sect-ion 9 of the bell when the lid is locked. The extension 9 of the bell has also a saddle 21 extending toward the lid and provided with shoulders 22 which form steps for the prongs `raised on the lid, said socket when the lid is raised and whereby the lid is prevented from dropping when in raised position, also from being shifted laterally in the said raised position. The locking bolt 11 of the lid is located in a socket 12 extending beyond the margin of the cover to form a g'lrip for engaging the lid when the same is to be raised.

An elbow 13 is threaded on to each of the leads 8. Each of the elbows presents a semi-cylindrical lip 14 disposed in the lower part and in front of a gasket seat 15. The lips 14 forni the bearing for the tubular trunnions 16 of the meter 17. The elbows threaded on to the leads are maintained against the trunnions by a yoke 18 which is crescent shape and which has at the ends sockets 19 open at the bottom so that the elbows 13 may enter thereinto. One of the sockets is provided with a screw 20 to engage the elbow 13 located in the socket and whereby the two elbows may be drawn together and bring the trunnions 16 into tight engagement with the gaskets provided in the elbows 13, in consequence providing a,

tight t between the leads 8 and the meter. The portion of the bracket which joins the sockets 19 reinforces the structure and in addition may serve as an auxiliary support for the meter, that is to say, an extension may `be formed from the meter 17 and the crescent part of the yoke to prevent the meter from turning on its tru'nnions if by some cause the end pressure on the trunnions 1G is reduced.

The leads 8 are made high to bring the dial of the meter 17 about four to six inches from the lid 10 of the box. This not only facilitates the vreading of the meter but also brings the meter into the warm air current which rises from the pit in the earth below the tube 5.

I claim:

1. In combination with a water meter, a pair of elbows each adapted to be connected to a corresponding lead or riser, each of said elbows having a supporting lip adapted to form a bearing for the tubnlar extension of the water meter, a yoke having sockets each adapted to receive an elbow, and a screw associated with one of the sockets for engaging the elbow therein and whereby the two elbows may be forced toward one another to clamp the meter between the elbows.

to rise sniiiciently to form a bearing for the tubular extension'- of the water meter, a crescent-shaped yoke having a socket at each end, each. socketbeing adapted to receive an elbow, vand a screw associated with one of the sockets for engagging the elbow therein and whereby the two elbows may be forced toward' one another.

3. In combination with a water nieter, a pair of elbows each adapied t0 be `connected to4 a corresponding lead or riser, each of said elbows having a supporting lip adapted ,t0 form: the-bearing for the tubular eXtension of the water meter, each of said elbows having'a gasket seat in the rear of the lip, a crescent-shaped yoke 'having sockets at the endsV open' at one side 0i' the yoke', each of said sockets .being adapted t0 receive an elbow, and a screw associated with one of the sockets for engaging the elbow therein whereby the two elbows may be drawn t0- gether to clamp the water n'ieter between the elbows.

LEWIS MCNUTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for `five cents eacli, 'by adzdressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

